Great Gatsby Ownership
Stuart MacDonald
AP English
Relationship between ownership and sense of self
For centuries, historians have discussed the relationship between ownership of tangible items and sense of self. Aristotle claims that ownership of tangible goods helps to develop moral character. However, even though the relationship, as outlined by Aristotle, allows people to establish their moral character, it teeters on the fine line between self-confidence and self-deprecation. For some people the ownership of objects allows them to accentuate their personality, express their interests, and become more in touch with their emotions. When individuals represent their nature accurately through these means they gradually start to gain self-confidence. These objects …show more content…
So, they find their identity in their objects. This has engulfed Americans nationwide to the point that people feel that the only way to ‘fit it’ is to comply with societal trends, which includes clothing, shoes, phones, and cars, to name a few. In some cases, this is taken even further to where individuals use items to manifest a fake persona, and over time these individuals start to believe that this fictitious persona is their identity. This is shown through Jay Gatsby in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel the Great Gatsby. The way in which Gatsby speaks is false. Gatsby, “whose elaborate formality of speech just missed being absurd” (132), spoke in such a matter to win Daisy. Gatsby repeatedly uses the phrase 'old sport', which seems fake and unnatural coming from his lips. He uses this phrase to present himself as upper class and of 'old money' to impress Daisy. Even though Gatsby may be rich, he does not come from old money. Cheating, stealing, and lies is how he became rich. Granted Gatsby wants to be looked at like he came from old money, therefore he buys the biggest house and owns the nicest stuff. His fake persona, like many Americans, becomes such a big part of his life that he practically becomes a new person, a fake
AP English
Relationship between ownership and sense of self
For centuries, historians have discussed the relationship between ownership of tangible items and sense of self. Aristotle claims that ownership of tangible goods helps to develop moral character. However, even though the relationship, as outlined by Aristotle, allows people to establish their moral character, it teeters on the fine line between self-confidence and self-deprecation. For some people the ownership of objects allows them to accentuate their personality, express their interests, and become more in touch with their emotions. When individuals represent their nature accurately through these means they gradually start to gain self-confidence. These objects …show more content…
So, they find their identity in their objects. This has engulfed Americans nationwide to the point that people feel that the only way to ‘fit it’ is to comply with societal trends, which includes clothing, shoes, phones, and cars, to name a few. In some cases, this is taken even further to where individuals use items to manifest a fake persona, and over time these individuals start to believe that this fictitious persona is their identity. This is shown through Jay Gatsby in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel the Great Gatsby. The way in which Gatsby speaks is false. Gatsby, “whose elaborate formality of speech just missed being absurd” (132), spoke in such a matter to win Daisy. Gatsby repeatedly uses the phrase 'old sport', which seems fake and unnatural coming from his lips. He uses this phrase to present himself as upper class and of 'old money' to impress Daisy. Even though Gatsby may be rich, he does not come from old money. Cheating, stealing, and lies is how he became rich. Granted Gatsby wants to be looked at like he came from old money, therefore he buys the biggest house and owns the nicest stuff. His fake persona, like many Americans, becomes such a big part of his life that he practically becomes a new person, a fake